ETHICAL FOOD COMPANY LIMITED
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Next accounts due
2026-06-30 (in 1mo)
Last filed for 2024-09-30
Confirmation statement due
2027-05-05 (in 1y)
Last made up 2026-04-21
Watchouts
None on the register
Cash
£3M
+85.3% vs 2023
Net assets
£7M
+9.6% highest in 6 filed years
Employees
33
+6.5% highest in 6 filed years
Profit before tax
£818K
+51.1% vs 2023
Net assets
10-year trend · vs Consumer Staples median
Accounts
10-year trend · latest reflected 2024-09-30
| Metric | Trend | 2019-09-30 | 2019-10-01 | 2020-09-30 | 2020-10-01 | 2021-09-30 | 2021-10-01 | 2022-09-30 | 2022-10-01 | 2023-09-30 | 2024-09-30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turnover | £53,149,402 | — | £38,341,917 | — | £43,537,221 | — | £41,630,666 | — | £40,365,020 | £43,511,941 | |
| Operating profit | £2,040,468 | — | £1,457,073 | — | £1,142,966 | — | £712,300 | — | £503,873 | £740,502 | |
| Profit before tax | £2,043,635 | — | £1,463,284 | — | £1,152,233 | — | £733,868 | — | £541,364 | £817,827 | |
| Net profit | £1,603,635 | — | £1,158,531 | — | £901,955 | — | £633,608 | — | £336,795 | £581,508 | |
| Cash | £2,546,633 | — | £4,167,238 | — | £3,327,730 | — | £2,412,211 | — | £1,732,712 | £3,210,296 | |
| Total assets less current liabilities | £3,029,380 | — | £4,187,911 | — | £5,089,866 | — | £5,723,474 | — | £6,060,269 | £6,641,777 | |
| Net assets | £3,024,637 | — | £4,183,168 | — | £5,085,123 | — | £5,718,731 | — | £6,055,526 | £6,637,034 | |
| Equity | £3,024,637 | £3,024,637 | £4,183,168 | £4,183,168 | £5,085,123 | £5,085,123 | £5,718,731 | £5,718,731 | £6,055,526 | £6,637,034 | |
| Average employees | 21 | — | 24 | — | 27 | — | 32 | — | 31 | 33 | |
| Wages | £1,308,741 | — | £1,812,109 | — | £2,446,728 | — | £2,008,244 | — | £2,855,991 | £2,800,474 | |
| Directors' remuneration | £198,975 | — | £314,714 | — | £574,988 | — | £230,615 | — | £594,128 | £463,588 |
Values shown as filed in the company's annual accounts. — indicates the figure wasn't present under that line item in that period. About these numbers
Year-on-year
FY2023 → FY2024 · period ending 2024-09-30 vs 2023-09-30
-
Turnover
+7.8%
£40,365,020 £43,511,941
-
Cash
+85.3%
£1,732,712 £3,210,296
-
Net assets
+9.6%
£6,055,526 £6,637,034
highest in 6 filed years
-
Employees
+6.5%
31 33
highest in 6 filed years
-
Operating profit
+47%
£503,873 £740,502
-
Profit before tax
+51.1%
£541,364 £817,827
-
Wages
-1.9%
£2,855,991 £2,800,474
Each % is (latest − prior) ÷ |prior| for the line item as filed. The comparison is only shown when the latest and prior accounts cover broadly equal-length periods — short or long stubs (typical around incorporation or a year-end change) are suppressed rather than misrepresented. Lines a company doesn't report are omitted. About these numbers
Ratios
Computed from the line items above — sparklines read oldest → newest
| Ratio | Trend | 2019-09-30 | 2019-10-01 | 2020-09-30 | 2020-10-01 | 2021-09-30 | 2021-10-01 | 2022-09-30 | 2022-10-01 | 2023-09-30 | 2024-09-30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating margin | 3.8% | — | 3.8% | — | 2.6% | — | 1.7% | — | 1.2% | 1.7% | |
| Net margin | 3.0% | — | 3.0% | — | 2.1% | — | 1.5% | — | 0.8% | 1.3% | |
| Return on capital employed | 67.4% | — | 34.8% | — | 22.5% | — | 12.4% | — | 8.3% | 11.1% | |
| Gearing (liabilities / total assets) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 47.0% | 53.0% | |
| Current ratio | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2.01x | 1.81x | |
| Interest cover | 1793.03x | — | 2327.59x | — | 435.75x | — | 902.79x | — | — | — |
Margins divide P&L lines by turnover. Gearing is liabilities over total assets. Current ratio is current assets over creditors falling due within one year. Interest cover is operating profit over absolute finance costs. Sector-distribution context coming next.
Name history
Renamed 2 times since incorporation
- ETHICAL FOOD COMPANY LIMITED 2021-10-18 → present
- THE ETHICAL FOOD COMPANY LIMITED 2021-10-18 → 2021-10-18
- ETHICAL FRUIT COMPANY LIMITED 2009-04-21 → 2021-10-18
Audit & accounting basis
- Accounting basis
- FRS 102
- Reporting scope
- Standalone (parent only)
- Auditor
- Old Mill Audit Limited
- Audit opinion
- Unqualified (clean)
- Going concern
- Affirmed
“In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the directors' use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate. Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the Company's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.”
Group structure
- ETHICAL FOOD COMPANY LIMITED · parent
- Ethical Fruit Company Limited 100%
- Organics Farm Foods Limited 100%
Significant events
- “2024 was a pleasing step which saw 8% growth versus the prior year. The long-term strategy is to expand the product portfolio and improve availability.”
- “The Company continued its focus on our Operating Ethically Plans of which 2024 was year 4. Central to the business remains our commitments towards assessing, identifying and mitigating modern slavery risks.”
- “Resilience planning remains a critical part of our activity, as our UK and global sources increasingly experience the effect of climate change and geopolitical factors.”
Auditor, going-concern and subsidiary information is drawn from the narrative of the latest annual accounts. About these numbers
People
4 active · 7 resigned
| Name | Role | Appointed | Born | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FARSHCHI-HEIDARI, Daryush | Director | 2025-09-24 | May 1980 | British |
| FRANCIS, Scott Michael Starbuck | Director | 2024-04-22 | Apr 1983 | British |
| HUNT, Hazel | Director | 2011-01-18 | Aug 1976 | British |
| ORGANIC GROWERS LIMITED | Corporate Director | 2019-02-18 | — | — |
Show 7 resigned officers
| Name | Role | Appointed | Resigned |
|---|---|---|---|
| BANTON, Colin | Secretary | 2009-05-20 | 2016-05-17 |
| BANTON, Colin | Director | 2009-05-20 | 2016-05-17 |
| FINDING, Rebecca Jayne | Director | 2009-04-21 | 2009-05-20 |
| KINDERSLEY, Peter David | Director | 2009-05-20 | 2011-01-18 |
| SANDS, Karen | Director | 2024-04-22 | 2026-01-31 |
| SPENCER, John | Director | 2011-09-05 | 2020-01-31 |
| WAKELEY, Adam John Paul | Director | 2009-05-20 | 2019-01-31 |
Ownership
Persons with significant control
| Name | Kind | Nature of control | Notified | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Organic Growers Limited | Corporate entity | Shares 75–100%, Voting 75–100%, Appoints directors | 2019-01-31 | Active |
| Ms Hazel Hunt | Individual | Significant influence | 2019-01-31 | Active |
| Mr Adam John Paul Wakeley | Individual | Shares 50–75%, Voting 50–75%, Appoints directors | 2016-04-06 | Ceased 2019-01-31 |
| Melanie Wakeley | Individual | Shares 25–50%, Voting 25–50% | 2016-04-06 | Ceased 2017-11-03 |
Filing timeline
Last 20 of 125 total filings
Material constitutional events — rename, articles re-file, resolution
- 2023-01-13 MA Memorandum articles
- 2023-01-13 RESOLUTIONS Resolution
| Date | Type | Category | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-11 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2026-02-05 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2025-09-24 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2025-06-26 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2025-05-06 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2025-01-16 | PSC05 | persons-with-significant-control | Change to a person with significant control | |
| 2024-06-28 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2024-04-24 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2024-04-24 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2024-04-23 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2023-06-30 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2023-05-15 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2023-01-13 | MA | incorporation | Memorandum articles | |
| 2023-01-13 | RESOLUTIONS | resolution | Resolution | |
| 2022-07-01 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2022-04-21 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2022-01-20 | PSC04 | persons-with-significant-control | Change to a person with significant control | |
| 2022-01-20 | CH01 | officers | Change person director company with change date | |
| 2022-01-19 | CH02 | officers | Change corporate director company with change date | |
| 2022-01-19 | PSC05 | persons-with-significant-control | Change to a person with significant control |
Public-record activity
Raw counts from Companies House — last 12–24 months
- Filings
- 5
- Capital events
- 0
- Officers appointed
- 1
- Officers resigned
- 1
last 12 months
last 24 months
last 12 months
last 12 months
Direct counts from the register. No score, no rating — see the Filing timeline for the underlying events.